Black Yarn Swap

I am participating in a new swap! It's called the Black Yarn Swap, and one has to send off a pattern and the requisite yarn that is at least 50% black, needles or crochet hooks, something else knitting/crochet related that is also at least 50% black. I'm quite looking forward to this!

Ravelry name: Alacaeriel
1. Do you knit, crochet, or both? I can crochet, but I much prefer knitting
2. What do you prefer to knit or crochet? (socks? sweaters? cables?) What would you like to try to knit or crochet? Just now, I love knitting lace stoles, scarves or shawl, and socks. But I think I need sock yarn more
3. What are your hobbies outside of knitting or crocheting? External hobbies? Um... books, study, going out with friends...
4. Do you have any fiber allergies? Fiber preferances? I'm afraid I don't like the feel of acrylic yarns, especially on my feet.
5. Do you have any favourite books, music, or tv shows? If so, what are they? For books, I like David Eddings and Tamora Pierce, for tv shows, I like Midsomer Murders, Lewis, CSIs, Law and Order, for music, I don't mind, anything but rap or techno.
6. Do you have any pets? I have a cat, a blue burmese
7. Do you prefer salty or sweet snacks? I prefer sweets, my dentist is glad to know :-P
8. Do you prefer coffee or tea? either, in all honesty
9. Aside black, which colours do you like/dislike? I don't like lurid greens
10. What is your favourite time of the year? (season-wise or holiday-wise) Christmas/New Year is lovely
11. What is your favourite scent? I like roses...
12. What do you collect? At the moment, I seem to be collecting laceweight yarn, but I don't really collect anything.
13. If there's anything else you'd like your swappee to know, list them here: I can't think of anything else, but I'll let you know if I think of anything.

I'm quite looking forward to this swap. The fact that I haven't any black yarn in my ravelry stash is entirely beside the point.

An Update!

And here is your latest update on my life, brought to you by a realisation that I haven't updated in ages.

I have been knitting a bit. I've started the Entrelac socks from the Sock Knitters' Anonymous group in Ravelry and am 3/4 done on those...



And I've also been working a bit on a lace scarf that I got yarn and a pattern for in a swap...



And finally, I've also been working on my second attempt at my own Mystic Waters lace shawl...

I made one of these up to row 300 and something, but found I had too many mistakes and got completely lost. I then made one in its entirety for a family friend with no problems. Then I undid this one, washed the yarn, rewound it, and started over, and am now up to row 216 of 367 rows. I admit, the sudden coldness of the weather has made me really start on this again. I can't really wear it until it's finished, after all, and it's warm!

The sudden coolness of the weather has made a few changes around here. For a start, the cat has taken to sleeping on my bed, occasionally making me sleep around him, and I've decided to buy a new corset. I'm still trying to decide which one to get from Gallery Serpentine.

That is all from this neck of the woods just now. Have fun!